What my “Case 5” football taught me about worth

Back in primary school, I bought my first football ever― a “Case 5” football. Possessing one of such added a lot to one’s “social standing” and God knows how long I saved and fasted to make this dream come true. Indeed, I had to tame my hunger to buy this pleasure.

After buying this seemingly priceless asset, I treated it pricelessly. Every morning, I would clean it so well and put it in my bag before leaving for school. In the evening, I would bathe it like a baby and sleep with it by my side. All through the day, I was utterly careful how it was played around… because I knew its worth!

When we know the worth of what we have, we guard it with all our lives. When we value our possessions, we don’t waste them― we don’t treat them as cheap things. If something is of value to you, you’d do everything to keep it, even if it means taming your pleasures!

The first possession every man has is his own self. We are our own possessions. If we have no idea of our value, others will negotiate this value. They will tell us how much we are worth― and it is going to be far lesser than what really the worth is. Obviously, in the absence of value, abuse is inevitable.

Every man has worth. There’s a price tag on the head of every man. Interestingly, it has got nothing to do with how much they have in their bank account. Neither has it got anything to do with how many possessions they have amassed. Every soul is worthy!

One’s worth is inherent and it is non-negotiable. When you walk into a retail shop, products have fixed prices. Our lives have fixed prices. Don’t allow people come in to negotiate. Anyone who knows their worth doesn’t lower their standards for others to accept them. If you know your worth, you’d admit that no one does you a favor by loving you!

Your worth is your inherent wealth. How you perceive yourself is how the world will receive you. If you think you don’t matter, you’re right. If you think you matter, you’re just as right. No one will buy you any more than the price tag you put on yourself. Self-value is reciprocal. The value you put on yourself is the value others will put on you.

Knowing your worth helps you harness your wealth. It leads you where you’re honored… not where you’re contained. Until you know how priceless you are, you will admit every treatment― good or bad.

Until we know our worth, people will take us for granted. They’ll walk into our lives and bargain according to their own favorable terms. They’ll measure our worth according to their imbalanced scale. Your life is not a street market. Your price tag is non-negotiable. Stop negotiating with low self esteem!

Worth is fragile, thus, can be abused. Like I did for my football, one needs to guard their esteem with their whole life. One needs to protect their value lest others undervalue it. If you know your value, you know where to belong. If you know your value, you won’t embrace abuse in any relationship. Value determines when to stay… and when to leave. Note that you always deserve better.

If you know your worth, you know which battles to fight. Some people are just not worth your attention. Others jab us with all manner of provocations because they want to drag us to their level and beat us with experience. Don’t fight pigs in the mud. Mind you, it is their comfort zone.

Place a price tag on yourself before others do. Know your value lest people undervalue you. If others walk into your life and find no price tag, they can’t help but negotiate… and eventually misplace this value. If they meet a life tagged with self-pity and no self esteem, they’d eventually play god in your life.

Like my football, every product of value is regarded with value. If a man knows his worth, he defines his terms and conditions before others walk into his life. Granting him audience becomes a rare opportunity… not a favor. He walks out when nonsense walks in!

Know your worth. You didn’t just fall from the skies onto earth. You didn’t just happen. You’re not a mistake. The same blood that runs in the veins of every other person runs through you, too. As much as others matter, you do matter, too. Stop stooping low. Stop looking down on this all-expensive “Case 5” football― you!

When we lose our value, we lose our essence in life. We admit that we are “shitholes”. We live all our lives unfulfilled. We belittle our innate abilities when we give others space to define our value. Our talents never get exploited because others’ opinions about us become what we live by.

Define your worth. Define your moral standards. Don’t lower them to accommodate others. Define who you are and who you are not before others do so. The more you appreciate your value, the better your life will be. You are your worth… and your worth is you!

Guess what. My ever valuable football was stolen one hot afternoon. You could imagine the value of my tears! Haha.

By Kobina Ansah

The writer is a playwright and Chief Scribe of Scribe Communications (www.scribecommltd.com), an Accra-based writing company which provides all writing services.